Retractible anti-slip device for shoe heels



Spt. 26, 1967 w. HENRY ET AL Filed Jan. 19, 1966 FIG. I

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n z X ,7 A x q H a wa 1i I-||| I a w 2 H 2 k 915 m5 w \M "INVENTORSWILLIAM HENRY CARL H l LT United States Patent Ofilice 3,343,283RETRACTIBLE ANTI-SLIP DEVICE FOR SHOE HEELS William Henry, 1046 MainSt., Wellsburg, W. Va.

26070, and Carl Hilt, 20051 Pelkey St., Detroit, Mich. 48205 Filed Jan.19, 1966, Ser. No. 521,722

8 Claims. (Cl. 36-61) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A retractible anti-slipdevice for shoe heels is installed within a hollow shoe heel containingspike holes in the bottom thereof and has ground-gripping prongs orspikes which are mounted on an arm of a horizontally-pivoted bifurcatedlever and positively projected and retracted through those holes by acrank mounted on an operating rod which is rotated by means of a key, inorder to swing the crank into and out of alternate or successiveengagement with the arms of the bifurcated lever so as to protect thewearer against slipping while walking on icy surfaces.

This invention relates to retractible anti-slip devices for shoe heelsand its object is to provide such a device which is installed within ahollow shoe heel containing spike holes in the bottom thereof and hasprongs or spikes which are mounted on an arm and positively projectedand retracted through those holes by means of a key, in order to protectthe wearer against slipping while walking on icy surfaces.

FIGURE 1 is a bottom perspective view of the rearward portion of a shoeequipped with the retractible antislip device of the present invention,with the spikes projected into their operating positions;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-section through the shoe heel of FIGURE1, taken along the line 22 in FIG- URE 3 in a plane immediately belowthe cover plate of the device, showing the device in top plan view;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 3-3 inFIGURE 2, with the spikes retracted;

. FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but with the spikes projected;and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 55 in FIGURE4, looking rearwardly.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES l and 3 show a shoe,generally designated 10, having a hollow heel 12 containing a cavity 14with laterally-spaced holes 16 in its bottom wall 18 and equipped with aretractible anti-slip device, generally designated 20', according to oneform of the invention. The side wall 22 of the heel 12 is provided witha horizontal hole 24 (FIGURES 2 and 5 for the insertion of an operatingkey 26 similar to a clock key. The cavity 14 is laterally enlarged as at28 near its rearward end (FIGURE 2).

The retractible anti-slip device 20' includes a channel member orsupporting structure 30 having a base portion 32 provided with a pair oflaterally-spaced holes 34 aligned with the heel holes 16, and oppositeparallel side walls 36 containing aligned holes 38, 38 near its forwardend above the base plate holes 34, and aligned downwardly andforwardly-inclined guide slots 40 near its rearward end. The alignedrearward guide slots 40 serve to receive pivot screws 42 and 44 threadedin opposite directions into the internally-threaded axially-spaced hubportions 46, 46 bent around from the rearward end of a bifurcated lever47 including a spike carrier arm 48 and a retraction arm 52. The spikecarrier arm 48 extends forwardly from its hub portions 46, 46 to alocation immediately over the aligned holes 34 and 16 where it isprovided with a pair of laterally-spaced depending pointed spikes 49aligned 3,343,283 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 with the holes 34 and 16,which are of sulficient size to permit the spikes 49 to swing upward anddownward through them around the pivot screws 42 and 44 as an axis.

The pivot screws 42 and 44 meet one another at their inner ends, thepivot screw 42 having a longer shank than the pivot screw 44 so as tocarry the loop of a torsion spring 50 mounted in the gap between the hubportions 46. The lower arm of the torsion spring 50 engages the baseportion 32 of the channel member 30 as an abutment while its upper armis secured to the spike carrier arm 48 between the spike carrier arm 48and the retraction arm 52. The retraction arm 52 is secured at itsrearward end to the spike carrier arm 48 immediately forward of the hubportions 46, 46 and is bent upward at its forward end to be spacedvertically away from the spike carrier arm 48 (FIGURE 3).

Extending into the space between the forward end portions of the spikecarrier arm 48 and the retraction arm 52 is the rearward downturnedcontact end part 60 of a crank arm or actuating element 54 having a slot56 through which the forward narrowed end 58 of the retraction arm 52projects. The downwardly-bent end part 60 is alternately engageablerespectively with a second contact portion 61 on the retraction arm 52and with a first contact portion 59 on the spike carrier arm 48. Theforward end 63 of the crank arm 54 is integral with and extendstransversely to an operating rod 62 rotatably mounted in the alignedforward holes 38 in the side portions 36 of the channel member 30. Theoperating rod 62 has a squared outer end portion 46 which projects intothe hole 24 in the side Wall 22 of the heel 12, so as to beengageable'by the key 26.

Mounted in the heel cavity 14 immediately above the side portions 36 ofthe channel member 30 is a cover plate 66 having a hole 68 locatedimmediately above the forward end portion 58 of the retraction arm 52 soas to provide clearance for the latter at the end of its upward swingingin its retraction stroke (FIGURE 3). The forward end of the base portion32 of the channel member 30 is provided with an integral upturned lug 70which serves as a stop for limiting the forward motion of the downturnedcontact end portion 60 of the crank arm 54. At the end of its forward orspike-projecting stroke, and after engagingv the first contact portion59, the end part 60 of the crank arm 54 snaps into the detent portion orgrooved end 72 of the spike carrier arm 48 which serves to releasablyhold the spike carrier arm 48 in its lowered or operating position(FIGURE 4).

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that theretracti-ble anti-slip device 20 is in its inoperative position ofFIGURE 3 with the spikes 49 retracted into the heel cavity 14, as in thenormal walking position under favorable weather conditions. When theuser encounters icy surface conditions, he inserts the shank of the key26 through the side wall hole 24 in the heel 12 over the squared outerend portion 64 of the operating rod 62. By rotating the key 26 in acounterclockwise direction, he rotates the operating rod and swings thecrank arm 54 in a counterclockwise direction (FIGURES 3 and 4) downwardfrom its horizontal position of FIGURE 3 to its vertical position ofFIGURE 4. This action causes the end part 60 of the crank arm 54 toengage and push the first contact portion 59 and the grooved forward endor detent portion 72 of the spike carrier arm 48 downward, carrying withit the spikes 49 so as to push them through the holes 34 and 16 intotheir projected positions of FIGURES 4 and 5, and at the same timestensions the spring 50. The crank arm end part 60 snaps into thedetent-grooved end or detent portion 72 at the end of its stroke. Inactual use, the anti-slip device has been found to effectively preventslipping while the user is walking on icy surfaces.

To retract the spikes 49 after the icy surface condition is over, theuser again applies the key 26 to the squared portion 64 of the operatingrod 62 and rotates'the latter in a clockwise direction so as to swingthe crank arm 54 from its vertical position of FIGURE 4 to itshorizontal position of FIGURE 3. During this action, the end part 60 ofthe crank arm 54 snaps out of the detent portion or groove 72 andpositively engages the second contact portion 61 on the under side ofthe forward end portion 58 of the retraction tongue 52, pushing itforcibly upward, assisted by the torsion spring 50, and consequentlyforcibly swinging the spike carrier arm 48 and spikes 49 upward into theheel cavity 14. This forcible retraction of the spike carrier arm 48overcomes any tendency of ice or snow to cause the spikes 49 to jamwithin their respective holes 16 and 34, as has been found during theactual use of the anti-slip device 20.

In the operation of the invention, the pivot screws 42 and 44 sliderearwardly upward and forwardly downward in inclined guidewaysconsisting of the inclined guide slots 40 during retraction andprojection respectively of the spikes 49, causing the spike carrier arm48 to move back and forth as it rises and falls while it swings on itspivot screws 42 and 44. As preferably constructed, a conventional rollpin is substituted for the pivot screws 42 and 44.

We claim:

1. A retractible anti-slip device for installation in the cavity of ahollow shoe heel having spike holes through the bottom thereof, saiddevice comprising a supporting structure adapted to be mounted in theshoe heel cavity,

pivot means mounted on said supporting structure and having a horizontalpivot axis;

a spike carrier pivotally mounted on said pivot means for generallyvertical swinging movement relatively thereto and having a first contactportion thereon spaced away from said pivot axis;

a plurality of pointed anti-slip spikes secured to and depending fromsaid spike carrier remote from said pivot means and positioned thereonfor alignment with the shoe heel spike holes;

a retraction member secured to said spike carrier and having a secondcontact portion thereon also spaced away from said pivot axis and fromsaid first contact portion,

a rotary operating member,

means for rotatably supporting said rotary operating member in saidsupporting structure for rotation upon a horizontal axis of rotationtherein,

and a rotary actuating element operatively connected to said operatingmember and extending transversely to said axis of rotation,

said actuating element being responsive to rotation of said operatingmember for operatively engaging said first contact portion and therebypositively moving said spike carrier downward to project said spikes outfrom the heel and also responsive to further rotation of said operatingmember for operatively engaging said second contact portion and therebypositively moving said retraction member and spike carrier upward toretract said spikes into the heel. 2. A retractible anti-slip device,according to claim 1, wherein said spike carrier includes a carrier arm,and wherein said spikes are secured to said arm in spaced relationshipto said pivot means.

3. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 2, wherein saidcarrier arm has a detent portion therein releasably holding saidactuating element in engagement therewith.

4. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 2, wherein saidretraction member includes a retraction arm mounted on said carrier armin coextensive relationship therewith.

5. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 4, wherein saidcontact portions on said carrier arm and on said retraction memberrespectively are spaced approximately vertically apart from one anotherand wherein said actuating element is disposed between said contactportions and selectively movable upward and downward successively intoand out of engagement with said contact portions in response to rotationof said rotary operating member in opposite directions.

6. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 5, wherein saidactuating element includes a crank arm having a contact part thereonspace away from said axis of rotation.

7. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 6, wherein saidcrank arm adjacent said contact part has an opening formed therein, andwherein said retraction arm extends into said opening in the projectedposition of said spikes.

8. A retractible anti-slip device, according to claim 1, wherein saidpivot means includes upwardly and rearwardly inclined guideways in saidsupporting structure and also includes pivot elements connected to saidspike carrier and pivotally and slida-bly engaging said guideways.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,200,658 10/1916 Senf 36-61FOREIGN PATENTS 83,171 9/1895 Germany.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner.

